Neighbor

- This is the end of one strange week. I knew something was wrong I first noticed the neighbor’s sons truck parked in front of my neighbors house, first in the middle of the week and then again on the weekend. There were national holidays or family celebrations, which is the only reason I every saw the blue truck parked out front in the past. Still I wanted to take the easy think out so I figured the son was helping with some difficult tasks—which is good. Then I noticed the son was mowing the lawn and then sirens and horns went off in my head that altering me there was something amiss. My neighbor is the kind of guy who has to have things done a certain way and that way is to do the job himself. HE WOULD NEVER LET ANYONE MOW HIS YARD BUT HIMSELF...unless he couldn’t. So with great trepidation I powered my chair over and caught the neighbor’s wife out watering their yard and asked her out right where he was. It seems my neighbor was involved in a vehicular accident last week, the air bags deployed slamming the mans head back giving him a brain bleed and who knows what else. He was in the ICU at tn the University Medical Center. Wow, I was blown away. She indicated she did not tell anyone because she did not want the extra attention—it just the way they are. They have been great neighbors over the twenty plus years we have lived here. She also told me her son had been over everyday to drive her up to the University to visit her husband since their vehicle is “totaled”. The car is fine except the air bags have to be re-installed at a cost of $5,000.00. I could not believe that. So the next day I saddled up and took the bus and train up to the Medical center to visit my neighbor. I have to admit I was little spooked at what I might find. I was amazed though when I got off the bus at the hospital's front door who should I see my my neighbor's wide and son in the lobby. I called out and finally got their attention. They were a bit taken aback to see me and to find out the only reason I was there was to visit my neighbor. They told me he was eating lunch and I should wait a bit before going up, which was fine with me as I headed for the cafeteria. I gave my neighbor a hour before I finally went up and found his room. I was a bit surprised at how little difficulty I had getting on the floor and rolling right into his room like I owned the place. I was shocked to see how debilitated my friend was: dazed and confused. It took couple of seconds for him to locate me—he seemed to hear my voice yet could not see me while he looked straight me—be his vision did kick in and he eventually saw me. My neighbor was amazed I was there visiting him—I answered by asking him where else would I be? Its not like we had a real deep conversation,I could tell I was difficult for him to keep focused. I went up again yesterday and he seemed a bit more stable but he was also busy. The P.T. folks were up and had him up and out of bed. He was so exhausted that buy the time they got him back to bed he was zonked so I left. I plan to go up today to. I'll visit again next week. Its the best thing I can do with my time right now...I need the work.